What is the origin of the Skadegamutc?

What is the origin of the Skadegamutc?

The Skadegamutc refers to malignant black magic sorcerers, who remain “undead” after death, but exists as a spirit tormenting the living (Helsing). The Skadegamutc is also referred to as the Ghost Witch (Helsing).  The Skadegamutc is one of the legends of the Wabanaki, who were a confederacy of several tribes who were once the occupants of present-day Maine. The Wabanaki means the “people of Dawnland” and currently they are survived by four large Maine tribes namely, the Micmac, the Maliseet, the Passamaquoddy, and the Penobscot tribes (Hill 6). The paper discusses the origin of the Skadegamutc.

According to the lore of the Wabanaki culture, the Skadegamutc originates from the death of a powerful black magic practitioner or sorcerer, who remains undead after death, but exists as a spirit that torments the living (Hume). During their lifetime, the Skadegamutc is said to be a powerful witch or sorcerer, and his or her sorcery is wielded even in death. During the day, the Skadegamutc looks like a harmless zombie (Helsing). At night, the Skadegamutc turns into a ball of light and traverses vast distances searching for human prey (Ishak). When the Skadegamutc assumes the form of a ball of light, it can fly long distances in a very short time (Hume). The Skadegamutc also has the ability to camouflage itself, thus, it can blend into any environment (Baker 54). Due to this, the Ghost-Witch can disappear or appear when it wills. This way, the Ghost-Which is capable of ambushing its unsuspecting prey with ease (Hume). In addition, its ability to camouflage itself enables it to hide from hunters and also deal with each prey individually.

The Ghost-Witch attacks its prey in two ways (Hume). One is turning into a ball of light and flying in the air; once it has found a prey, the Skadegamutc attacks from above and slaughters the victim, and then feeds on the victim’s fresh warm blood and flesh (Helsing). Another way is through becoming undead during a fresh open-air funeral and attacking when the mourners have completed the burial rituals and have decided to rest before embarking on their journey back home (Ishak). It is said that the Skadegamutc needs to feast on fresh human blood and fresh to remain “undead” and retain its sorcery (Baker 54). The main targets of the Skadegamutc are people who become separated from their group or those wandering alone in the woods (Helsing). It is not known whether the Ghost-Witch is vulnerable to groups or it just prefers to torment each individual alone.

Various tales have been told about the Skadegamutc attacking various people. One of such tales is narrated about a Mi’kmaq man and his wife, who were passing through the lands of Abenaki while on their way to the east (Hill 15). When the night fell, the man and his wife did not have a place to sleep as they did not know anyone in those areas. Therefore, they decided to find a nice place in the forest to spend their night. While searching, they came across an old tree grove and decided to stay there (Hill 17). As they entered the grove, the wife felt a chill and sensed something was not right about the place. She raised her concerns about the place to her husband, who just laughed off her fears as mere superstition.

The couple then lighted a fire and prepared their supper. After they had eaten their supper, the wife noticed that there were dark shapes that were hanging on the trees, and she told the husband that they should leave immediately (Hill 24). The husband said they were bodies of the dead and that she should not be afraid of the dead, rather, she should be wary of the real world. With that, the husband rolled over the other side and fell asleep soon after. The wife, however, did not sleep immediately as she could not fall asleep. After some time, the fire faded burned down and the wife prodded her husband gently to awake him so that they can collect more firewood, but she got no response. She decided to lay down since she could not dare wander alone in the haunted forest. Soon after the fire had burned out and she had shut her eyes, the wife started hearing a gnawing sound (Hill 32). She assumed that it was the sound of tree branches or an animal feeding. The gnawing sound continued for hours and the wife just frozen in terror.

When the morning came and the sound had stopped, the wife tried to wake her husband but he did not respond. She rolled him over, and to her shock, her husband was dead and his left side of the chest was ripped off (Hill 67). Terrified, the wife ran to the Abenaki and told them what had happened but they did not believe her. However, some hunters decided to go to the haunted grove. Upon reaching the grove, they found the body of the Mi’kmaq man with a ripped-off heart and chest (Hill 74). Above the grove, there was a body of a dead sorcerer and they decided to lower the body to examine it. To their horror, they found that the corpse’s mouth had fresh blood covering it. The body of the witch was then burned to destroy it. It was believed that the attack was by a Skadegamutc or the Ghost-Witch (Hill 98). Several similar stories of Skadegamutc attacks have been narrated by the Wabanaki.

It is alleged that the only way a Skadegamutc can be killed or destroyed is through burning it and scattering the ashes to the four winds (Hume). This is done to ensure that the Ghost-Witch does not return to torment or revenge on the monster hunters or people who killed it.  This is because the Ghost-Witch cannot be killed by weapons like guns (Helsing). Some legends claim that arrows may frighten or ward off the Skadegamutc. The reason behind this is not known and the tactic may not work at times. Additionally, the Skadegamutc is vulnerable to daylight. Such characteristics make the Skadegamutc similar to traditional vampires, which are narrated in European legends.

The Skadegamutc also has powerful magic, which it uses to put curses on people whom it comes across (Helsing). According to some old folklores about the Ghost-Witch, some people are more vulnerable to the Skadegamutc than others. Making eye contact with the Ghost-Witch or even hearing its voice can put a curse on reckless people or hunters (Helsing). Therefore, it is essential to approach the Skadegamutc with much caution to avoid being cursed (Ishak). When a Skadegamutc utters a curse upon an individual, that person cannot live in relative peace, rather, his or her life will be full of nightmares.

In conclusion, the Ghost-Witch or the Skadegamutc is defined as malignant black magic sorcerers, who remain “undead” after death, but exist as a spirit tormenting the living. During their lifetime, the Skadegamutc is said to be a powerful witch or sorcerer, and his or her sorcery is wielded even in death. During the day, the Skadegamutc looks like a harmless zombie. At night, the Skadegamutc turns into a ball of light and traverses vast distances searching for human prey. According to the lore of the Wabanaki culture, the Skadegamutc originates from the death of a powerful black magic practitioner or sorcerer, who remains undead after death, but exists as a spirit that torments the living.

Works Cited

Baker, Linda R. American Vampires. Enslow Publishing, LLC, 2019.

Helsing, Kyle V. “Skadegamutc (The Ghost-Witch).” The Demon Hunter’s Compendium. 15 March 2014, http://demonhunterscompendium.blogspot.com/2014/03/skadegamutc-ghost-witch.html

Hill, T.D. The Age of Myths and Legends: Book One: Monsters.  Sky Lodge Publishing (2017).

Hume, Nic. “Skadegamutc.” The Paranormal Guide, Ashley Hall, 2014. http://www.theparanormalguide.com/blog/skadegamutc

Ishak, Natasha. “The 7 Scariest Creatures From Native American Folklore: The Native American Ghost Witch Monster, The Skadegamutc.” Ati, 2 December 2020, https://allthatsinteresting.com/native-american-monsters/7